DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) key Fujairah pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz will be fully operational by the end of the year and will carry most of Abu Dhabi’s oil exports, the oil minister of the Opec member said on Tuesday.

The UAE opened its long-delayed pipeline to pump up to 1.8 million barrels a day (bpd) and shipped its first export cargo in July.

“Hopefully by the end of the year it should be fully operational,” Mohammad Bin Daen Al Hamili, UAE Minister of Energy said reporters on the sidelines of the a forum in Dubai.

“We also want to test the tolerance of the pipeline. If we have to export extra we push it through to see how much is sustainable,” Hamili said.

“Our refineries also take crude from onshore so we have to cater for our two refineries and then what’s available will be exported through Fujairah,” he said.